This disclosure relates to the field of electric power distribution. Disclosed embodiments are directed to power converters and systems of power converters capable of receiving power from various types of power sources.
The generation of electrical power from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water, and geothermal has become more popular in recent years. Solar and wind energy have become especially attractive in providing electrical power to loads near the generation site, such as at cellular telephone towers, telecommunication central offices, home or business locations that are independent from the electrical power grid, and the like. However, the electrical power generated by solar and wind-generated electrical power tends to fluctuate over time (e.g., day vs. night for solar power), and in response to weather and other environmental conditions.
To reduce the expense of metered power from the AC grid or bio fuels and to reduce environmental impact, among other reasons, it is often beneficial to use power from renewable sources such as solar cell arrays, wind-powered generators, and the like when that power is available. For example, this preference is useful at remote or otherwise self-contained installations of both a renewable power source and the load powered by that power source, such as at cell towers. However, the power generated by different types of power sources, particularly renewable sources, exhibit different attributes from one another. These differences render it difficult to arrive at a power converter architecture that can optimally and efficiently convert power from this wide array of input power sources. Additional issues are addressed below.